Saturday, March 31, 2007

For those who love the philosophy of ambiguity, I copied a few things I received in an e-mail. Enjoy...

* Atheism is a non-prophet organization.* If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still have monkeys and apes?* I went to a bookstore and asked the clerk, "Where's the self-help section?" She replied, "If I told you, it would defeat the purpose."* What if there were no hypothetical questions?* Is there another word for synonym?* If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?* Would a fly without wings be called a walk?* Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?* If a turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?* Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?* If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?* Why do they put Braille on the drive-up bank machines?* What was the best thing before sliced bread?* One nice thing about egotists; they don't talk about other people.* How is it possible to have a civil war?* If you ate both pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?* If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?* Whose cruel idea was it for the word "lisp" to have "s" in it?* Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?* Can atheist get insurance against acts of God?

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Bryn has two friends whose parents are some of our friends. We all went to the local cafe the other day, and the girls had so much fun making silly faces with the lemons that were served on the edge of the water glasses. (I know, they aren't supposed to play with food, but once in a while you have to let them enjoy some small pleasure. Really, they can have excellent manners!) The youngest girl, Kaitlyn, is facing surgery tomorrow on her eyelid. She has had a small growth for a few months that was originally considered to be a stye. Antibiotics and ointments were administered to no avail. Finally, after going to a specialist at UCLA, it was deemed surgery was necessary to remove whatever this growth is. Kaitlyn has been a trouper and even with high fevers, she has never complained. Please say a prayer for her that all goes well.

Monday, March 26, 2007

After the passing of my Father nearly eight years ago, my little boy was heartbroken. He was only two years old, but even now at 10 he can tell you things he remembers about my Dad. My Dad's very best friend was Sam White. One day when the White's were visiting my Mother, Blake climbed up on Sam's lap and said, "I guess you will have to be my Pawpaw now." This thrilled Sam and he told Blake he would be happy to serve as his Pawpaw. During the years since my Dad died, Sam and his wife, Lil, have proven to be faithful, true friends to my Mother. They frequently call her to see how she is doing and make special trips from Arizona to California to visit. The White's came into town yesterday and are spending a few days with my Mother. Of course, the kids are thrilled - Pawpaw and Grandma White are here!!! I have said all this to get to this point - real, true friends are friends forever.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

The other night I was asked to speak for a few moments to the youth. I gave them a very short and quick lesson on choices. My title, for memory sake, was Cruella or Cinderella. Without repeating the entire stories of which I am sure you are familiar, let me just say this - Cruella may have been gorgeous and very possibly would have looked beautiful in a Dalmatian coat, but her wicked spirit was despised. Consequently, she never obtained her heart's desire and her very name spoke of her character, Cruella. To the contrary was Cinderella who with a kind, sweet, spirit, became the Prince's bride. Biblically speaking, I could have used Jezebel or Miriam. Jezebel who was so bad she was thrown to the dogs or Miriam who became the main praise leader after years of being a faithful servant. Everyday each of us must make choices - good or bad. Decisions to be an imposter or real, pretentious or truth, cruel or kind, rough or smooth, fake or genuine, miserable or happy, and the list can go on. I won't bore you with my entire outline, but I will list some scriptures. (For those of you who enjoy studying the Bible, you can probably tell by the other scriptures what else I spoke about.) I will quote two scriptures, however, that I feel are so important when we make choices. "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 (NIV) "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10 (NIV) After speaking, my little girl said, "Mommy, I liked that. I am Cinderella." I pray she keeps that sweet, Cinderella spirit.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Thought is the blossom; language the bud; action the fruit behind it.- Ralph Waldo Emerson John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The above quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson made me think of this scripture and how it could be transposed in a similar way. "In the beginning was the Thought, and the Thought was the Thinker, and the Thought was the Thinker."

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

We have had an adventurous day at the 20th Annual Kern County Science Fair. Blake's project won in the regionals and moved on to county. (I have a previous blog about his project.) Since Blake is only in 4th grade, he can not go any higher in the competition. Hopefully, he will make it to county next year and if he wins, he will then be allowed to the state level. Before judging began this morning, Dr. George Ka'iliwai, III spoke. He is a technical advisor for Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He had a great power-point presentation and two short videos of different aircraft he has worked on and clips of their maneuvers. The presentation was exciting and generated enthusiasm in the students to excel. Students were given an opportunity to ask questions and greet Dr. Ka'lilwai. Blake even got to take a snapshot with Dr. Ka'lilwai. It was a great educational day.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The below post was copied from my husband's blog. He wrote this a few months ago and I thought I would share it with you since my most recent posts address some of this issue.

Have we become pseudo christians projecting our moral judgments and morality in the place of a true relationship with Jesus Christ? No, I am not throwing away separation from the world, but it seems that too many "christians" think that only good moral living will get them to heaven! What about our intimacy with Jesus? What about our private time with Him? We have become corporate christians meaning that we have left our prayer closets and resorted only to prayer at church. We leave Jesus standing on the corner wishing for more than just a casual kiss, while we walk away flaunting our morality to a world who wants more than just another phony pseudo christian. I wonder if Jesus has ever thought about divorcing individuals whose sole concern was with what they looked like and not what they thought about Him? We don't take the intimacy between a husband and a wife into the public so why should we think that our relationship with Jesus should only be for public display. He wants time alone with us so he can talk to us personally and be with us. I want to look holy, and be righteous; I want to uphold standards that set me apart from the world but that should never become my primary focus. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me." I think we should all develop a relationship with Jesus that includes more than just looking the part. Good moral living and looking the part is only part of the equation. A life with Christ that is based solely on good morals and good moral judgment will last no longer than a marriage that is solely based on a public display of affection. Develop a life of private time and intimacy with God and you will find that you enjoy being with Him. It won't be a hypocritical life either, because you will want to please Him!

Monday, March 19, 2007

On my previous blog, I asked with what word you would replace "sportsmanship" from the given quote (see previous post). I first thought of the word "Christianity" but did not list it because I wanted to see if any others would give the same word. Both responses gave the word "Christianity." This brought me to the real thought - - - Is Christianity "preached" so much more than "practiced" and is that why the so-called Christian world is often called hypocritical? Yikes! I may have hit a nerve with some people. Why is the word "hypocrite" so often associated with church people? I have been told the only place you find hypocrites is in the church, but how can we change them?

Saturday, March 17, 2007

After reading this quote, my mind began to whirl as I thought of other actions with which I could replace the word "sportsmanship." Such as - - respect, equality, kindness, charity, faith, restraint... This list could get quite extensive. What would you rather see people practice versus hearing it preached?

The snapshots you see were taken last year during the Western All-State Youth Choir summer tour. I thought these pictures gave a good description of the above quote. Not only did the choir perform, but they also connected to their audience by offering prayers and friendship after the performance. They practiced loving people. I love the picture of the choir member with the young child, but I am also very drawn to the picture of my husband praying for a lady who is holding her children. I wonder what thoughts were going through the minds of her children. I also felt like she was facing a difficulty but wanted her children to be reassured that everything would be alright. Isn't the power of love and prayer amazing?

Friday, March 16, 2007

To promote the upcoming book fair, the school my two youngest children attend decided to have a most creatively decorated flip flop contest. Bryn and I decided on getting some of her hair accessories to see what we could come up with for her shoes. When Blake saw what we were doing, he decided to get his flip flops and put something on them. He found a couple of army men, a tree, and two lizards. Believe it or not, out of a school of nearly 900 students, Blake and Bryn won their grade level prize. From what I understand, they will receive a gift certificate to the book fair. Isn't it great when "fun" is incorporated into such programs? Both of my children love to read and enjoy participating in their school activities. What's your take on such contests?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Never speak of yourself to others; make them talk about themselves instead: therein lies the whole art of pleasing.- J.E de GoncourtI came across this quote and I immediately thought of how much I talk about my children and our happenings. I guess I am not too pleasing according to this quote. :) Since we are not face to face, how about some pointers on how to get you, my friends, to talk about yourself? Now we flip this quote to your side, and you want me to talk about myself. Help! What do you think is the proper manner of speaking on a blog?

Monday, March 12, 2007

Prayers of dedication concluded the festivities for The Rock Church yesterday as the congregation, community leaders, and many out-of-town guests celebrated the completion of their new sanctuary. Following the dedication, we joined many friends at the reception at the Wilson Estate. Someone suggested the ladies leave their handbags in the prayer room. Soft, worshipful music was playing when I walked into this room and I was immediately awestruck, for in this prayer room is a miniature replica of the Western Wall or, as it is better known, The Wailing Wall. Instantly, I remembered the first time I saw The Wailing Wall in 1980 and how much emotion I felt at the sound of people "wailing" as they made their petitions to God. There are literally millions of small papers with written prayer requests tightly pushed between the cracks of the massive stones. As I stood before this replica in my friends home, I was overcome with a desire to build my own wall of prayer in my house. On the ride home, my husband and I talked about what room we would use in our home to construct this wall. References have been made to "prayer closets," but I want prayer to "come out of the closet." Before you misunderstand me, let me clarify myself. I know people who refer to their prayer closets are not trying to hide their prayers, but are rather referring to a more intimate time with God and I am not being critical of them. However, in today's society where prayer is being removed from schools and public functions, I would like to make an even greater stand for prayer. No, I don't need to have a specific room for prayer because we can pray "always." I just want to give prayer a place of honor and reverence in my home. A place where my children can find refuge and solitude. Where they can write their secret prayers, press them between the stones, and know that their prayer is received by God. I'm not sure how soon we will be able to construct our prayer room, but in the meantime we won't forget prayer time.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

At left is a poster advertising the No Limits Conference that takes place annually at The Rock Church in Elk Grove, California. The background of the poster is part of the front of their new sanctuary. Tomorrow, I will be attending their dedication ceremony. I always feel a certain amount of pride when I see my "family" who is able to build beautiful structures in which they can worship. Sacrifice and dedication are the price of such an awesome church. You can view pictures at their website, www.therockchurch.org The Rock Church has not only brought benefit to their local community, but they are also involved in world-wide missions. Pastor Myles Young is also a recording artist with whom I was honored to record a duet a few years ago. If you are in the Sacramento area, you owe it to yourself to visit The Rock Church. It will be a great experience.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Lead your life so you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip.- Will Rogers.

I ran across this quote and it instantly brought back memories of an African Grey Parrot we brought to the USA from Dakar, Senegal, West Africa. He was named Dak after the city in which he was purchased. This parrot quickly stole our hearts with his constant talking. He imitated everyone in the family including barking like the family dog. My Mother has a very hysterical, loud laugh and she doesn't believe her laugh is so big. But........Dak had it down. He would get to laughing like my Mother and the whole house would soon be in an uproar. Of course, Dak would say many different phrases, sing songs, and even mimic household noises such as the beep of the microwave. After more than 20 years in the family, Dak finally went to parrot heaven. We had a proper burial and cried. He is dearly missed. Well, I guess you understand Will Rogers quote is true. If you don't want to be embarrassed, don't let strangers talk to your parrot.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Finally, I found a few moments to blog. At left, are photos of my darling girl, Bryn and her friend CaseyLynn. They were such darling angels at the Southern Ladies Conference "Angels Watching Over Me" Brunch. Harpist Amber Bowden played during the brunch and the beautiful angels sat at her feet listening intently until the wiggles took them over. They were so cute! I was the emcee of the brunch and I readily admitted, one of my life-long dreams is to own a gold gilded concert pedal harp and learn how to play it. Since I was child, I have always been drawn to harps. I think the instrument is beautiful in looks and sound. Knowing that such an instrument cost more than a nice car, my faith is weak in ever owning a harp. However, I do have a space saved in my living room just in case a miracle happens. Maybe loving the harp so much has caused me to wonder more about angels. I do believe there are angels surrounding me and my home. Each night as I tuck my little ones in, we pray and they always say, "...and, Jesus, keep angels around us all night." They truly believe that God has appointed angels to stand guard over them. There is much I could say about the conference, but I think I want to let my mind ponder on angels just a little more.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Do you ever wonder what our guardian angels look like? We talk about having "a hedge of angels around us" and "angels watching over us," but have you ever paused to contemplate what expressions are on their faces while they watch us? At left is Brenda Ghiloni's darling granddaughter who was an "angel" at our Ladies Conference brunch on Saturday. Those eyes are mesmerizing! She was the "littlest angel." I will leave you pondering what your angels look like and will write more later.

Bryce and Jana's websites

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Meet Jana

Born in 1960, you can say she's a boomer. She's married to the love of her life, Brian, who is also her pastor, mom to three gorgeous kids, and wears many different "hats." Her personal passion is singing and she recorded her first CD which was released February 2007. You can hear clips at her website, www.janaallard.com.